MArch Architecture - House & Home

USE-2020/2021

Manchester School of Architecture

House & Home // COMM-AM Taha Aldibani Oliver Meads

Brief & Concept Site & Typology Analysis

6 - 10

Tower & Interventions

10 - 12

Programme & Massing

13 - 16

Drawings Pack

17 - 22

Physical Model

23 - 24

Materials & Atmospheres

25

Construction Sequences

26 - 27

Environmental Studies

28 - 29

Building Regulations

30

RIBA Stages

31

Renders Bibliography

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Can the Floop enhance the level of social connectivity between different segments of the community?

The project begins by reflecting on the 2020 USE Compendium where extensive group analysis of the Fallowfield Loopline raised a plethora of potential issues. The loop hosts a wide range of uses by people and is a popular escape for all members of the community.

Our first aim is to understand how to better the experience of the users along the loop and to showcase the benefits and existence of the hidden green strip of urban Manchester. We hope to achieve a greater connection to the wider context and enhance the sense of community the loop with our proposal.

Analysis of Loop Characteristics 1:2500 at A1

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Summary of findings from the compendium analysis and focuses for design brief?

Making a Micro-community

Land Registry data by ward Levenshulme Year: 2018 Number of transactions: 284 Average (mean) transaction value: £ 154,955 Total transaction value: £ 44,007,275 Minimum transaction value: £ 50,000 Maximum transaction value: £ 370,000

Manchester LSOA code: E01005200 Owner occupied (%): 49.5 Socially renting (%): 25.5 Privately renting (%): 23.3

Feed the loop

High street...>> Public & Private Number of people under 45: 1315 Number of males under 45: 662 Number of females under 45: 653

Community Gardening

Interventions Cluster settlements

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Allotments

Can we create a self sustaining micro-community to support and showcase the potential along the Loop?

The economic and social concept for the proposal is to generate a support network for the Loop, financially and as caretakers, whilst creating a vibrant and connected community. We believe many new housing developments in urban Manchester, particularly apartment blocks, lack the community aspects of a great house and home.

The proposal works around ‘the shopkeeper analogy’ with homes situated above livelihoods. This creates a community of amenities; cycle repair shops, craft breweries, cafes, restaurants, workshops, shops. This will attract visitors who may not have previously know of the loop who; income generated can go back to the upkeep of the and Loopline with the ability to expand through market stall like interventions along the Loop.

Building Use Class A Units Below Homes

Variety of Occupants and Tenancies Enriches Community Diversity

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Can we maximise the amount of connections and Interactions between people from different contexts?

Context Analysis

A driving factor throughout our process was to maximise the amount of interactions between people from different backgrounds through spatial planning and architectural design. Here we expand our knowledge from the compendium and analyse the context of the site further.

The site sits on a former cricket ground adjacent to the loop, with a buffer zone between of Levenshulme Allotments. We wanted to take inspiration of how existing interactions and human connections are made around the site. A community of particular interest we wanted to explore was that of the Levenshulme allotment as we felt it created a long lasting community through growing which we feel echoed the objectives of our brief.

Residential To West

Here we explore the routes and masses of the allotments, permeability across the allotments from the Floop to our site and the urban grain of the surrounding industrial and residential areas.

Residential To East

Industrial Zone

Nodes of Interest

Allotment Figure Ground & Routes

Urban Grain

Permeability & Access

Site

Green Banks Playing Fields

Possible Interventions

Permeability

Access Nodes

Boundary Nodes

Allotments

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How to enrich connections and approach to the site from the loop, in relation to the wider typological context?

Here we zoom in with the site analysis to understand the approach from the loop and compare our response to the circulation issues with how circulation in neighbouring highstreet, industrial and residential performs at creating interpersonal connections.

Our strategy is to provide a landmark viewing tower on the loopline between Bridge 14 & 15, providing vertical circulation from loop level to site level and acting as signpost for the proposal. Access is then through the allotments to where our additional proposed allotment spaces meet. We look to continue the rhythm of circulation of the existing allotments through to the highstreet circulation of the house and home site.

Site

Allotment Circulation

Development Proposals

Primary Route

Fallowfield Loop

Initial Site Response Experiencing The Culture of The Loop

Proposed Intermediate Space

Existing Allotment Routes

Circulation

Proposed Access

Connections

Breakers Yard, Levenshulme

Cathedral Street, Manchester

Bridgewater Point, Salford

Allotments, Levenshulme

Allotments

Highstreet

Industrial

Residential

Mass

Public & Private Thresholds

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Can the urban fabric of the local context be integrated to enhance the community engagement?

Here the ‘kit of parts diagram’ dissects nearby built environment and attempts to sort typological elements. Understanding the context and urban grain enables the design to form around local vernacular rather than be placed upon it.

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How do we take the concept of community, amenity and connection through different scales of spatial planning?

Proposed Developments Proposed Interventions

The aim of the scheme is the integrate into the lives and daily experiences of existing Loop users and encourages further use by providing amenity and community support to the often missed piece of green infrastructure.

We intend to connect the node of the loop and the intersecting line between two chimneys visible from the site with a new timber viewing platform along the loop. This creates a way finding reference point to note the scheme and orientate its sense of place within the city.

The residents an use this vertical circulation to connect to the infrastructure of the loop and assemble market stall like interventions along the loop to expand the community and micro-economy.

Communal workshop spaces will enable manufacture of these prefab assemblies and engage the wider community in the process of making.

Environmental Site Analysis

Residential Allotments Industrial

Page 9

How will the proposal evolve over the next century and continue to foster the loop and its community?

The twisted timber tower will provide vertical circulation and means of transporting goods between the loop and the site. Allowing the market stall interventions to be assemble; function unique to the resident and allow organic expansion of the scheme along the Loop.

Design Concept Development Sketches

View Towards Site From Tower

View Towards Proposed Tower From Site

South Bakery Chimney

Page 10

North Scrap Yard Chimney

How with the intervention expansion process work?

1.

A series of communal workshop spaces throughout the site to produce the prefabricated elements of the assembly 2.

Finished parts are loaded onto vessels for transportation.

3.

The intervention parts are paraded through the highstreet announcing the community expansion on their way.

4.

Using the tower’s lift core the parts are taken to the level of the loopline to be assembled.

5.

Insitu assembly of parts by hand at desired location.

6.

Interventions use power packs charged on site for are ready for use by passers by, residents and visitors.

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Exploded What happens axonometric within the build project up ofand thehow prefabricated the loopline is fed with schematic intervention modules.interventions to enhance the social connectivity of the new COM/AM project....

The interventions are based around a simple timber portal frame system braced engagement with CLT panels design interconnect The communal spaces aretomade for the without use of wet materials and be of manageable sizes to transport and community and the investors around the Fallowfield loop lineassemble to enwithout the need specialist equipment. gage with the new COM/ AM scheme and make their own stalls and have them placed on the loop line.

These parts are simple to construct with limited manufacturing knowledge in the communal workshop by business Each stall will have its own functionality of the use residents/ from cafes, repair owners. shops and planting beds, depending on the nature of the investment and the owner of the business.

The services to the interventions will be minimal, with small PV charge battery to connect to the lighting As part packs of the space making strategy of system. the site and its Surrounding, we aim to use those interventions of stalls along with Bifolding shutters recessed into the portal frames with will be to handmade planting beds (Allotments) to engage thefitted current allow the interventions to be locked up and left over night. displaced segment of the community.

The stalls are mainly made out of timber that is delivered to site through our new proposal of service lane. which runs from the existing ‘Elas road’and continues to out new proposed path, which follows around the new proposal and feeds to every corner of the shops and engagement spaces.

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Developing the programme of spaces and their spatial proximity to develop an efficient design that promotes connection and community...

Here we begin to assign areas to some of the spaces the scheme will require and consider how these spaces should connect. With this we explore different arrangements on site and reflect on our site studies and compendium work to begin to discuss forms and layouts.

It was important for us to create break out spaces of greenery and generous public realms intersecting the private to encourage social interactions - something we feel is missed in many of the current housing schemes in Manchester and the UK. We also needed to think about the kinds of users we had previously defined for residents and how their needs would be met in terms of house, home and workplace. And how would these link to the over arching theme of community and amenity for the loop at macro scale. In order to create good homes it was crucial to consider boundaries of public, private and intermediate spaces and how we linked them.

Proximity & Programme Diagram

Sketchbook Development of Site Planning

Page 13

Highstreet Arrangement

Connecting Intersection

How do we place forms on the site that embody the principles we’ve developed in the earlier design stages?

Refining our intent down to the adjacent diagram enabled us to move forward and begin to place spaces on the site in hierarchy of importance for the concept.

Cluster Settlements

Firstly creating a primary pedestrian route and focal node through the site which runs with the rhythm of the chimneys and towers in order to locate users with the wider context.

Next to intersect the primary route with a servicing and vehicular node to support the requirements of the spaces and interrupt circulation similar to those community catalysing circulations of the allotments.

Then splitting off into smaller, residential scale clusters with generous break out spaces and public realms for increased interactions and smaller sub communities.

Communal Spaces

Finally inserting shared spaces to allow making, teaching and engagement for a wider range of users.

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Translating the spatial planning concepts on site...

The proposal consists of the house and home units connected with the shared communal spaces. These are arrange around a configuration developed from looking at local typologies and their ability to create connections and communities between people.

Below is a typical House & Home unit embodying the ‘shopkeeper analogy’ with a 90m2 two bedroom home for a young family or professionals, below is a flexible 90m2 space for the occupancy/ business.

Breakout Spaces Shared Spaces House & Home

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Site Massing...

The adjacent diagram shows the scheme in situ, with the Fallowfield Loopline running across the bottom right corner. The timber tower connecting to the Levenshulme Allotments and the route to the site.

The site is broken up by the continuation of the chimneys and towers to create long connecting vistas. The intersecting route connecting the urban grain of the existing residential context.

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Location Plan

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1:1250 at A1

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Fallowfield Loopline

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Levenshulme Allotments

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Viewing Platform Tower

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Proposed Allotments

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Proposed Highstreet

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Levenshulme Trading Estate

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Industrial Estate

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Residential Estate

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Houldsworth Golf Club

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Highfield Country Park

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Residential Estate

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Greenbank Playing Fields

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Secret Lake

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Site Plan

1:500 at A1

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Allotments

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Public Breakout Space

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Private Gardens

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Visitor Parking

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Resident Parking

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House & Home

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Workshop Space

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Flexible Communal Space

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Teaching Space

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Highstreet

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Typical Floor Plan 1:500 at A1

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Flexible A Class (Cafe)

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Prep / Store / Refuse

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Accessible WC

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Public WC

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Plant / Store

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Workshop Space

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Kitchen / Living

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Bedroom

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Bedroom with En-Suite

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Bathroom

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Key

Elevation A

Elevation B

Elevation C

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Section A

Section B

Section C

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Detail development...

External Aesthetic // The aim was to create an contemporary vertical rhythm to blend the units into a cohesive street scene of glazing and timber fins. A contrasting charred timber would be used for the shared spaces. We wanted as little distraction from the vertical timber battens, expressed columns and transom panelling as possible meaning we used a series small aluminium hanging clips for the battens.

Detail A

Internal Aesthetic // We wanted to use the material throughout the build up of the facade, from interior finish to structure to rainscreen. To expose the timber structure we returned the suspended ceiling soffit and added lighting to the downstand of the beam.

Detail B

Regulatory Requirements // To keep the timber exposed and meet fire regulations of 90mins resistance (due to the mixed A Class and Residential), and additional 120mm of depth was required for the CLT deck and Glulam beams as fire protection.

Detail C

Typical Section

Typical Elevation

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Detail A 1:10 at A1

Detail & 1:20 Physical Model...

Section A // Roof

Section B // Intermediate Floor

Leaded parapet flashing, 50mm vegetation zone, 25mm soil substrate, 50mm coffered draining on 45mm gravel, on damp proof membrane on 15mm OSB sheeting on 120mm rigid insulation 10 on vapour barrier on 225 cross laminated timber panel Spanning between 255mm glue-laminated timber beams with service void between Suspended ceiling with 40mm servicing zone lined with 12.5mm plasterboard, taped and filed.

22mm timber floor finish with aluminium vent on 15mm OSB raised floor on insitu 45mm screed with inlaid underfloor heating pipes, on 45mm rigid insulation, on 225mm cross-laminated timber floor panel spanning between 255 glue-laminated timber beams, 40mm servicing zone lined with 12.5mm plasterboard, taped and filed.

Section B // Typical Wall 50x150mm timber battens bolted to 35 x 55mm Aluminium hanging system bolted back to 15mm plywood panel with tolerance for differential movement between panel, on damp proof membrane, on 120mm rigid insulation on vapour barrier on 2x 15mm plywood panel to interior finish quality

Section C // Ground Floor 22mm timber floor finish with aluminium vent on 15mm OSB raised floor system on insitu 45mm screed with inlaid underfloor heating pipes, on 45mm rigid insulation, on 150mm in-situ concrete slab on insitu tanked concrete raft foundation

Detail B 1:10 at A1

Section C // External Ground Junction 12.5mm resin bonded gravel or 32mm stone pavers, on 35mm gravel drainage zone, on 150mm rammed earth zone, To 50mm rigid insulation to tanking, on 100mm diameter French drain channel

Detail C 1:10 at A1

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Exploring the public realm through model making: physical model 1:100...

The development of a 1:100 scale model using grey board, balsa wood and foam board allowed the exploration of the intermediate spaces between dwellings and communal spaces.

We chose to have strategically placed planting to work alongside the batten facade system and create a screening for privacy between the bustle of the highstreet and the homes at first floor.

In order to further encourage interactions and community as well as facilitate the transport of building materials for the interventions, we decided to give a generous paving areas as well as green break out spaces.

We also justified the stepping down of the communal spaces to maintain the low sitting design amongst the residential scale context.

Physical Model Key

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Internal atmospheres and material qualities...

We wanted to celebrate the use of timber and it’s versatility through the materiality, reflecting the self sufficiency and sustainability championed by our over arching concepts. The use of timber in different forms throughout the interior finish, structure to rain screen creates a continuity of atmospheres and located users to the scheme. The proposal uses charred larch and marine ply.

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House & Home Construction Sequence...

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Communal Spaces Construction Sequence...

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Environmental Strategy...

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Sefaira environmental and lighting analysis...

Typical First Floor

The lighting and environmental analysis enabled us to understand the necessary U values required in detailing the build ups to achieve a good level of efficiency using a central plant room as per our previous environmental strategy diagram.

We also were able to generate results on natural lighting quality of the spaces. We wanted more natural light throughout the ground floor A Class units with good but shaded natural light at first floor to allow for privacy and lower level residential lighting.

Typical Ground Floor

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Building Regulations // Part B, Part K, Part M 1:20 @A1 // ACC WC // Doc M

1:20 @A1 // INT Corridor- Fire Escape // Doc B

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1:20 @A1 // Kitchen // Detail - Floor / Doc M Plan

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1:20 @A1 // ACC WC // Doc K / Section

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1:20 @A1 // Kitchen // Section / Doc M

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From // Doc B -

From // Doc M -

Emergency escape windows and external doors 2.10 Windows or external doors providing emergency escape should comply with all of the following. a. Windows should have an unobstructed openable area that complies with all of the following. i. A minimum area of 0.33m2 ii. A minimum height of 450mm and a minimum width of 450mm (the route through the window may be at an angle rather than straight through). iii. The bottom of the openable area is a maximum of 1100mm above the floor. b. People escaping should be able to reach a place free from danger from fire. Courtyards or inaccessible back gardens should comply with Diagram 2.5. c. Locks (with or without removable keys) and opening stays (with child-resistant release catches) may be fitted to escape windows. d. Windows should be capable of remaining open without being held.

Circulation areas and internal door ways..

From // Doc K -

From // Doc M -

Construction of steps:

Provisions

For dwellingsSteps my have open risers if they comply with both of teh following guidance. a- Overlap treads by minimum of 16mm b-Construct the steps so that a 100mm diameter sphere cannot pass through the open risers.

Head room for stairs: For all buildings: 1.11 On teh access between levels provide the minimum headroom shown in diagram 1.3 (Minimum headroom 2m) 1.34- Handrails- For all buildings a- Position the top of the handrail 900mm to1000mm from the pitch line or floor b- The handrail may form the top of a guarding if you can match the heights. c-If stairs are 1000mm wide or wider: provide a handrail on both sides.

5.10- Wheelchair accessible unisex toilets will satisfy requirement M1 or M3 if:

Door and hall widths..

1.15// . To facilitate access into habitable rooms and to a WC in the entrance storey, door and hall widths shoudl comply with all of the following (see Diagram 1.2). a- every door to a habitable room containing the WC has a minimum clear opening width set out in table 1.1, when measured in accordance with diagram 1.1. b- Any localised obstruction, such as a radiator, does not occur opposite or closet o a doorway, and is no longer than 2m in length; and the corridor is not reduced below a minimum 750mm width at any point.

a- One is loctaed as close as possible to the entrance and/or waiting area of a building. b- They are not located in a way that compromises the privacy of users c-They are located in a similar position on each floor of a multi-storey building , and allow for left hand and right hand transfer on alterntae floors d- when more than one unisextoilet is available in other mutilstorey buildings, a choice of layouts suitable for left hand and right hand transfer is provided. e- when it is the only toilet facility in the building, the width is increased from 1.5to 2m and it includes a standing height washbasin, in addition to the finger rinser basin associated with WC.

RIBA Stages of Work

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View From Workshop

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Interior View of House & Home

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Interior View of Cafe

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View from Site Towards Tower

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View of Highstreet

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